'Jet suit paramedic' tested in the Lake District could save lives, says air ambulance service

It took a pilot tester just 90 seconds to complete a 25-minute walking journey in the jet suit
April Roach @aprilroach2829 September 2020

A jet suit which could fly a paramedic to an isolated casualty in minutes has been praised for its "awesome" life saving potential by an air ambulance service.

After a year of discussions between the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) and Gravity Industries, the suit was taken for a test flight over the Lake District this week.

The test involved Gravity Industries founder and chief test pilot Richard Browning flying from the valley bottom in Langdale, Cumbria, to a simulated casualty site on The Band, near Bowfell.

GNAAS said the casualty site would have taken around 25 minutes to reach by foot but Mr Browning arrived in his 1050 brake horsepower jet suit in 90 seconds.

The test flight took place after a year of discussions and planning
PA

Andy Mawson, director of operations and paramedic at GNAAS, said the Lake District could be a possible location for a “Jet Suit paramedic” following a study of the charity’s call-out data.

He said: “It showed dozens of patients every month within the complex but relatively small geographical footprint of the Lakes.

“We could see the need. What we didn’t know for sure is how this would work in practice. Well, we’ve seen it now and it is, quite honestly, awesome.”

The test pilot flew to a simulated casualty site on The Band, near Bowfell
PA

Mr Mawson continued: “In a time in healthcare when we are exhausted with Covid and its effects, it’s important to still push the boundaries.

“Our aircraft will remain a vital part of the emergency response in this terrain, as will the fantastic mountain rescue teams. But this is about looking at supplementing those resources with something completely new.

“We think this technology could enable our team to reach some patients much quicker than ever before. In many cases this would ease the patient’s suffering. In some cases, it would save their lives.”

A screengrab from the YouTube channel of Gravity Industries of the test flight
PA

GNAAS and Gravity Industries, the company which developed the technology, said they wanted to thank Langdale Mountain Rescue Team, the National Trust, Stool End Farm and Cumbria Police for helping make the test possible.

Mr Browning added: “It was wonderful to be invited to explore the capabilities of the Gravity Jet Suit in an emergency response simulation and work alongside the team at GNAAS.

“We are just scratching the surface in terms of what is possible to achieve with our technology. Emergency response is one of the areas Gravity are actively pursuing, alongside launching a new commercial training location at the world-renowned Goodwood Estate.”

GNAAS is a charity which provides air ambulance coverage across North-East England, Cumbria and North Yorkshire from bases at Langwathby, near Penrith, Eaglescliffe, near Stockton-on-Tees and Newcastle International Airport.

It responds to more than 1,500 callouts a year and relies on donations to fund its operations, which last year cost £5.3 million.

Additional reporting by PA Media.

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